The Ripple Effect
Ahh, Paris. A city known for its food, landmarks and for love.
For me, it was going to be a time to spend having fun with my favorite person at Disneyland Paris!
The sites, the sounds and the beauty of Disneyland Paris at night around Christmas is just awe-inspiring. It was gorgeous. We enjoyed a fun parade and rollercoasters, which was a lot for someone like me who likes to keep both feet on the ground. Seriously thought, it is important to take time to stop and enjoy the company of the blessings you have surrounding you everyday that we often take for granted and for me, that meant a much needed family vacation.
As a plant-based eater, I must say finding healthful food at Disneyland Paris at night is close to impossible. Although, we enjoyed the “Vegan Kitchen’s” wonder meals during the daytime, in the evening finding an unhealthy, but delicious vegan burger at Planet Hollywood stopped the tummy grumbles. Finding food when we grew weary of our homemade sandwiches after the journey there became a daunting task and yet, it paled in comparison to the task of finding transportation during the strike.
That’s right! Despite my efforts to schedule after the original date for the end of the strike, there we were…stranded on the side of the tram road waiting for a bus to get us to the hotel after struggling to get from main Paris station to Disneyland. Why? Because of the ripple effect.
Do not get me wrong. This has nothing to do with the strike and what the French were seeking to protest concerning their rights and privileges; I respect their right to protest. Rather, this situation made me think of the parallel of other areas of our lives and how ripple effects tend to tip the scales either in our favor or against us as the waves increase.
In life, we often focus only on the here and now. For health, we often focus on the physical and what we can see. We count calories, eliminate categories and even push our bodies beyond limits without properly refueling all in an effort to look “healthy”. But what is the ripple effect of our actions today? See, we feel doing these things will benefit us longtime, while the evidence points to the contrary. In fact, my past physical decline proved this not to be factual. We can not ignore the cries of the heart, mind and spirit and believe the body will not begin to mimic these silent screams. The waves of our inability to adapt, change and let go and let the tides roll and wave will lead to our collapse. The inability to choose self-care today, stop and release suppressed anxiety or fear from one moment will being to ripple and sceep into the other parts of our lives.
So do me a favor this holiday season. When given an opportunity to enjoy a cookie, eat it. When given the opportunity to stop work early to play in the snow, take it. When given the chance to savor the beauty of the sunset, enjoy it. Embrace change, challenges and unexpected turns of life with an attitude of optimism (not pollyanna) and gratitude. For in the ripple effect of life, our physical beings will be a reflection of how we let our attitudes, mindset and perspective shape our lives…based on the shift towards optimal wellness, full of eustress or towards the side of illness along the road of distress and dis-ease. We get one choice; this holiday season, I implore you to choose wisely.
TAKE ACTION: For one day this week, just be… no judgement, no worries… just be.
The Heart of the Holidays
Thanksgiving is here! Although truth be told, I love the ideas of giving thanks on a daily basis, this is often a time of year when people gather as collective in gratitude for all the wonderful blessings of love and connection we have with one another. After all, there are only two treasures in this life: time and people, for which neither can ever be replaced.
As with most holidays, we do not celebrate necessarily based upon the traditional customs, but rather redefine our own based upon our family values. For us, this falls in line with how we eat.
As a whole food, plant based eater, this means we embrace delights designed for comfort and wellness, with pleasures of animal-free chocolates on the side.
The meal of the day of course brings pause of thought. What to create? So, I figured I would share some ideas to get you started.
THANKSGIVING MENU WFPB Style:
Vegan (Plant Based) Lentil Loaf
Rosemary Au Grant Potato Bake
Cinnamon Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli & Brown Rice OR Steamed Broccoli & Cauliflower with Cashew cream sauce
Raw Vegan “Cheese”cake or Yes Please cake w/a Pecan crust
There you have it, a menu for your perfect Thanksgiving. As I believe in exploration and creativity, I challenge you to try out different styles until your find your perfect harmony, while building self-efficacy. But if you need help, email me.
Blessing to you and yours and I hope the journey of self-discovery in the kitchen helps you see the confident, daring version of you have has been there all along.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Travel, Yoga & Self-Care: Garden of Peace
Yoga is all about restoring balance to both the mind and body. We get so caught up in our everyday grind of life and even the superficial aspects of “beauty” that we forget the importance of balance and good health. You can never attain a sense of balance in your life if you neglect the primal component of rest. Rest and relaxation give the body a chance to recover and mind a chance to unwind. Both are so important that a who portion of your autonomic nervous system cannot conduct the important business of digestion or arm the body’s defense system without ample amounts of it.
So, why do we choose to ignore something we all crave and enjoy? Simple. We let life take the driver’s seat, with its commanding need to eat away at our valuable time with its never-ending list of priorities.
Truth be told, the list will always be there, but the chance to experience life with those you love won’t.
Needless to say, after learning this the hard way, I am all about spending time traveling with my son, enjoying life, unwinding and regaining a sense of “self” throughout the process. I would be remiss if I dismissed the importance role this has played in my healing process. So, throughout this blog, I plan to share travels with you, in an effort to help you find places to relax and unwind.
So on a quest to stop and smell the roses, we ventured off to Keukenhof where we were surrounded by a garden by millions of flowers. While the fields are primarily covered in differing varieties of tulips, flowers of all sorts can be spotted in this haven of serenity. Located in Lisse in the beautiful Netherlands, Keukenhof truly lives up to its name as the “Garden of Europe”.
As pictures speak a thousands words, here are some to paint you a vivid picture of why this would be an idea place for you and your family to come and regain a renew sense of peace.
